Pete with his wife, Sarom***************Sarom's family's house
My friend Pete has been traveling the world a lot in the last few years.Teaching English. Learning from Tibetan monks. Playing guitar on Korean streets. Last year he sent us all news of his marriage to a Cambodian woman. Such a strange dichotomy for me here in America with my house and electricity and plenty of food and doctors. Pete seems happy and he has happy photos of his family and village, some of which you see on this site. Very different life compared to mine. And this suits Pete fine. Those of you who know him, know what I mean.
Pete came up with the idea of this web site. People can order some things made by his family and friends but more importantly, people can help his family and village upgrade their health conditions. This is a great way for us to bridge some sort of gap in a graspable way between what is going on here and what is going on there. With such differences in wealth levels, Pete has to pick his battles. And the ones in this web site are the ones he wants to try and tackle right now. For me I like this idea because I am aware of a lot of charity foundations but I am also aware that a lot of the money they take is spent on salaries and benefits, etc. Very little of your donation money actually reaches the people you would be hoping to help. With this site, you are actually putting up an outhouse or supplying a water filter for one house that will last for years. The people still carry the water on their backs but now they can clean it when they get it to their house.
Pete's family in America will help with shipping the nesting boxes and jaw harps. I will try to keep the page up to date. Hopefully we will end up with a whole row of pictures of outhouses and water filters that have been purchased for this village. Pete's big idea would be to continue on to other villages in Cambodia if this catches on. Waz Technologies will donate some space and knowhow and World-Evolution will keep this going.
Please consider donating to a very satisfying cause, Pete Calanni's family and village. A little from us can do a lot for them.
Thanks,
I am beginning to get to know Tatry Village intimately and a long term goal is being initiated. I hope to continue buiding outhouses while also creating a sustainable farm/garden to help the community of Tatry village learn about nutrition, hygiene, land stewardship and cooperation.
I am learning about the consequences of war. Twenty five years of violence and aggression (including the Khmer Rouge) has left Cambodia in dire poverty. Basic knowledge about health (why use an outhouse?), hygiene (why wash your hands?), nutrition (green foods have more nutrition then white foods), environment (why you shouldn't litter the land with plastic), is non-existent.
Cambodia has a per capita income of $200. A literacy rate of 35%. Life expectancy of 49 years. The people are in a state of healing. This is a unique chance to help create a community become independent of handouts, to preserve their unique culture, and to help them know respect, esteem and confidence.
The community of Tatry Village has taught me numerous lessons. Thier generosity and hospitality has been unbelievably enormous. I am ever so careful of my "westernism" and how it will influence them. Every idea I have is centered around sustaining the local, preserving the family, the sacredness and the uniqueness of the Khmer culture.
I thank Mary, my sister Shelly and Steve & Andrea for all the help they give...a big continuous thanks!!!!
A special thanks to the folks at Aquarain.com for being so kind and easy to work with. Thanks for all the donations & purchases. AND I have 'T' shirts from Angkor Wat for sale, many different designs. email me for info....
Pete Calanni rattlebonebrain@hotmail.com